


my chest is speechless, my heart has so many words.

by serenascampbell



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 08:16:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8394133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenascampbell/pseuds/serenascampbell
Summary: Kara cares about Cat, and she wants to make her life as simple as possible. So, she doesn't think twice before agreeing to be Cat's fake girlfriend for a few weeks. Things only start to get tricky when the two women find themselves feeling things that weren't on the agenda.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a particularly busy day and Cat Grant was in a particularly bad mood. Everybody in the office had noticed and everyone was doing their best to avoid her at all costs, with the exception, of course, of Kara. In three years she had done her best to become familiar with Miss Grant’s moods and she had developed strategies for dealing with each of them. It had become easier yet since Supergirl had emerged and allowed Kara to spend even more time around her boss. In the past few months, Cat and Kara had been considerably more friendly with one another and the threats of dismissal had been far and few. 

“Miss Grant, is there anything I can get you?” Kara offered warmly as she entered the office with a cup of chamomile to set upon the desk. 

“Absolutely nothing, Kiera, unless you can conjure an eligible bachelor from thin air in the next few hours.” Cat retorted snappily, plucking her glasses from her nose and dropping them down on the desk. Standing up, Cat straightened out her skirt before strutting around to the front of her desk and standing close to Kara’s face. “Has crossing the barrier to 50 made me so utterly repulsive to men that I can’t even find a date for one evening now, Kiera? I know full well that I am still just as attractive as I was five years ago so there has to be something wrong with the men in this city!”

“Absolutely, Miss Grant. They’re idiots if they think they could find a better date than you in National City, or in the entire country in fact! I can make a few calls around and see who’s in town that might be free this evening if you like, but is there something in particular that makes it so urgent? Only there’s nothing on your schedule planned for tonight.” Kara answered without missing a beat. She didn’t bother taking notes anymore, she didn’t need to - at this point, she could almost anticipate what Cat was going to ask for before she even summoned her assistant. 

“Carter’s father is having me over for dinner tonight; it’s nothing big but I can’t get out of going and I don’t want to turn up looking like a lonely old spinster…not now that Michael’s getting married to this Linda woman. I could probably cancel and say that I have too much work to do, or say that I’m not feeling well but I don’t want to let him think he’s won. It’s childish, I know, but we all have a competitive streak.” 

“Well then we certainly can’t have you going alone, we need to find someone who can adequately rub it in that idiot’s face just what a terrible mistake he made in letting you go. You deserve so much more than he ever had to offer you, Miss Grant, and we’re going to make sure he sees that tonight.” Kara outstretched a hand and rested it warmly upon Cat’s forearm, offering a small comfort as she reassured her boss that she’ll figure it out. “Why don’t I call Todd Renwick and see if he’s free tonight? If worse comes to worse, you could always ask James to stand in - I’m sure he’d be thrilled to have your company for the evening.” 

“Kiera you are a genius!” Cat exclaimed, eyes lighting up as some stroke of magnificence proffers itself in her mind. “Kara - if you have no other plans tonight - how would feel about accompanying me to a dinner party?” 

The young Kryptonian’s eyes were wide and her expression blanched as she met Cat’s gaze with questioning in her eyes and caught the inside of her cheek between her teeth anxiously. Ever since she’d first realized her feelings for Cat, she had been trying to limit the time that they spent alone together in the hopes that she might find a more realistic target for her affections. On the other hand, she couldn’t let Cat down…she couldn’t bear to do that so she forced a smile on her face and shook off her concerns. 

“It would be an honour if you really think I’m the best candidate.” Kara uttered cautiously, settling her tone as Cat casually crossed to her decanters and poured a glass of bourbon. 

“I’ll pick you up at 6, wear something at least mildly sophisticated, you can leave early so you have time to get ready but finish your work for the day first.” 

Nodding gratefully, Kara excused herself before stepping out of the room and typing up the notes from the content meeting before packing up and preparing to leave. She was going to have to stop off at the mall on her way home if she was going to have something even close to Cat’s standards to wear. 

Meanwhile, Cat spent the rest of the afternoon being far more tolerable than anyone had seen her in weeks and she didn’t yell at anyone all afternoon…apart from the idiot who brought her the wrong coffee order, but that was deserved. Leaving earlier than usual, Miss Grant headed home to change into the dress she had planned to wear and hope that it wouldn’t clash terribly with whatever abysmal piece Kara would undoubtedly decide upon. At around 5:45, she headed downstairs and got into the back of her car before wordlessly handing over a note detailing her assistant’s address.


	2. Chapter 2

Kara heard the car pull up outside her window at 5:59 and she bit back a grin as her phone rang. Grabbing her phone from the sofa and answering it, she lifted the mobile to her ear. 

“We’re waiting outside, you’re not running late, are you? I did give you all afternoon to prepare, and you know how I hate to be kept waiting.” Cat grumbled into the phone as Kara slammed shut the door to her apartment and headed for the stairwell. “So, how long are you going to be, Kiera?”

“I’ll be with you in thirty seconds, Miss Grant!” Kara responded as she made her way hurriedly down the stairs and tried not to trip over her own feet. Rushing towards the complex’s front door, she stepped out and strode towards Cat’s car eagerly before pulling open the door and sliding into the side she knew Cat never used. “Miss Grant, I’m sorry to keep you waiting.”

Cat didn’t offer the quick-witted response that Kara was expecting, instead, she simply let her eyes trail over Kara’s well-dressed form and pursed her lips gently. Smugly, Kara waited for Cat to collect herself and slipped her phone into the small handbag she had elected to bring. 

“You look…nice,” Cat commented, dragging herself back to reality. “Okay, back to business - we need to set some boundaries. How comfortable are you with PDA?” 

“I’m sure I can handle whatever you throw at me, Miss Grant. Let’s just have a nice night and not worry about formalities, shall we?” Kara suggested in the knowledge that Cat would be largely concerned about a sexual harassment suit in the morning. “I’m happy to do this Miss Grant, just try and relax?”

“Certainly, Kara. I’m absolutely fine.” 

Kara was certain that she’d never seen her boss this anxious. She’d seen her angry, and upset, and even occasionally worried but she had never seen her so anxious. It was strange to see someone who you relate with confidence and groundedness suddenly so consumed with unease. 

The car came to a stop and each woman looked out of her respective window to find they had arrived at Michael’s house. Stepping out of her side of the car, Kara hurried around to open Cat’s door and offer her a hand before tapping on the roof and watching the Mercedes drive away. The older woman’s stature visibly stiffened as her eyes settled on the house and she steeled her expression mindlessly only to feel her young assistant’s arm slip around her waist and stay there as the two of them made their way up the drive. 

Knocking on the front door, the two women were there only a matter of seconds before a familiar face pulled it open and grinned almost cruelly at the pair of them. 

“Catherine, darling! I didn’t know you were bringing a plus one!“ 

“I’m sorry, Michael,” Cat responded bitterly, a false grin plastered across her cheeks. “I hope it’s no trouble, only I was told that I was permitted one.” 

“Certainly no problem at all, I just didn’t think you were seeing anyone and I know that it’s getting tougher every day for a woman like yourself to find a plus one. Where did you find this pretty little thing anyway, Cat? And what on Earth possessed you, I thought you’d moved on from women after college!” Michael’s tone was sharp and defensive as he chided Cat. 

“I’m Kara Danvers, Mr. Willis. Cat and I met through work, and I’d like to think I possessed her. I’m sure my womanly wiles drew her back to the dark side though I can’t take all the credit, Cat is a magnificent entity all on her own.” Even as the words fell out of her mouth, Kara couldn’t help but wonder where they’d come from though she kept her hold on Cat’s waist and smiled casually as they were reluctantly invited inside. 

“Lisa baby, Cat’s here! And she’s brought Kara with her, I’ll have to ask Carter to set another place at the table, won’t I!” Michael called as he approached the kitchen with Cat and Kara following him. Walking into the kitchen, they caught sight of the young leggy blonde that Michael was marrying in three weeks time. “How’s dinner coming along?”

“Great, Michael, everything’s right on track.” She answered as she focused on the pots and pans in front of her. 

Carter came bounding through and wrapped his arms around Kara enthusiastically, grinning broadly as the woman’s Kryptonian reflexes allowed her to catch him and wrap him in a hug. 

“Mom didn’t say you were coming!” The teen pointed out as he drew back and noticed the closeness between Kara and his mother, but he was mature and intuitive and he knew that now wasn’t the time to be asking questions so he went along with it. 

“You know Kara then, kid?” Michael asked curiously as he approached Carter and tousled the young boy’s hair awkwardly. 

“Yeah, she comes over at least a couple times a week. She’s great!” Carter replied happily as he shifted away from his father and headed back towards the dining room. “I’ll go and add an extra place to the table.”

Kara caught Cat’s eye and saw the worry that was threatening to boil over, and she could sense that Michael felt it too. Without hesitation, she lifted her hand to Cat’s forehead and pressed it there curiously. 

“Are you feeling alright, Cat? You’re looking a little peaky and I know you stayed late at work last night. I’ve told you not to overwork yourself!“ Kara’s tone was naturally concerned as she dropped her hand to the tiny woman’s shoulder and caught her gaze reassuringly. 

“I didn’t realize you two were, you know, an item. How long’s that been going on for?” Michael interrupted boldly as he crossed to wrap his arms around the back of his fiancee - a show of dominance no doubt - and kissed her shoulder. “I hope you’ll bring her to the wedding, Cat!”

Cat’s hazel eyes met Kara’s blue with alarm in them, unsure of how to respond. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Michael!” Kara replied in a nonchalant tone though there was promise in her eyes. “I’ve managed to tempt Cat out to dinner a few times over the past months, she’s still playing hard to get it would seem.”

As Cat interjected, she latched on to what Kara was doing and smiled gratefully. Carter would understand, she could explain it to him on the way home and he’d agree to keep quiet…of course, he would. The two settled into a routine and by the time dinner was being served, their hands sat on the dinner table, intertwined. The teen caught his mother’s eye once or twice, but he simply smiled at her warmly and went back to his food without thinking. The conversation was dry, almost as dry as the lamb, and Cat found her mind wandering to what had possessed Kara to think this was a good idea. 

The night drew to a close at almost nine o’clock, by which time had consumed far more wine than her tiny stature could realistically handle and Kara was prepared to pick her up and carry her out of the door. Guiding her carefully through the kitchen, Kara offered her thanks for a nice evening and ushered the two Grants outside towards the awaiting car. As the got into the car, Carter slipped in beside the driver without a thought leaving Kara to, reluctantly, take the seat beside Cat. 

Silently, the driver took them back to Cat’s building as the older of the two women rested her head sleepily against Kara’s shoulder. Carter didn’t seem fazed, not even slightly, and Kara couldn’t help but wonder if Cat had told him earlier and this afternoon was just part of the act. Nevertheless, she thanked Cat’s driver quietly before helping her boss upstairs and into the apartment. 

“You okay getting yourself to bed, bud?” Kara asked kindly as Carter crossed the threshold and nodded wordlessly as she pulled off his shoes. “I’m gonna get your mom into bed and then I’ll call a taxi and be out of your hair, okay? Your Mom will talk to you about this whole situation in the morning when she’s feeling a little better.” 

“It’s too late to get a taxi now, Kara. It isn’t safe.” Carter replied, ever the voice of reason, as he shrugged off his jacket. “I don’t care if you share Mom’s bed, it doesn’t matter to me, or if you’re really desperate to keep pretending then you can take the couch.”

“Goodnight Carter.” She replied, rolling her eyes as she slipped off her own heels and locked the door, guiding Cat down the hallway to the master bedroom. “Let’s get you ready for bed, Miss Grant.”

Mumbling sleepily, Cat tugged her dress easily over her head and kicked off her shoes. Kara tried to keep her eyes at a respectable level but they seemed to slip downward even though she fought against them, and she had to bite her lip to keep from saying something as her eyes trailed over Cat’s petite curves. Shaking off her sordid thoughts, she tried to corral her boss towards the bed though it proved a difficult task. 

“Thank you for tonight, Kara. It was lovely.” Cat uttered warmly, leaning to press a gentle kiss against Kara’s lips before the twenty-something woman pulled back in surprise. Unfazed, Cat climbed under the duvet and drew it up to her chin before patting the opposite side of the bed.

“I’m gonna get a taxi home, I’ll see you in the morning, Miss Grant.” 

“Stay.” Cat suggested, seemingly more sober than she had been only moments ago. “Just until I fall asleep.” 

Reluctantly, Kara settled herself on top of the comforter and smiled, eyes glancing over Cat’s vulnerable form and reveling in seeing this new and unfamiliar side to her boss. 

“Goodnight, Supergirl.” She heard Cat whisper mindlessly as she drifted to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

As her eyes snapped open to bright sunlight, Cat couldn’t help but wondered why her head hurt so much. And then she saw it - Kara Danvers asleep in her bed with her head leaning against the headboard and her body almost upright. 

Never in all the years of wanting this had she imagined it ever happening, but here she was. She looked down at herself and realized that she was wearing nothing but her underwear while Kara remained fully clothed, she had so many questions about last night because she couldn’t remember a thing from eight o’clock onward. 

Breathing in the moment, she allowed her eyes to trail Kara’s entire body, head to toe, and she smiled widely at how beautiful the young woman was. Almost as though she could fell Cat’s eyes on her, Kara shifted and turned to face her boss with alarm in her expression. 

“I’m so sorry, Miss Grant! You asked me to stay until you fell asleep but I must have drifted off myself! I am so sorry, I’ll make sure to still be at the office ahead of you, though!” Kara exclaimed as she sat up, about to get off the bed when Cat’s hand clamped down on her wrist. 

“Kara, you’re fine. But we need to talk about last night, and the wedding, and how you want to proceed with this since- you’ve kind of locked yourself into a pseudo relationship with me for at least the next three weeks.” Cat stated confidently, shifting herself upright and drawing the duvet with her to protect her modesty. “I need to know how you want to do this.”

“I just- I wasn’t thinking straight, I wasn’t thinking about the consequences so you can sort out the details. I just want to make the wedding go as smoothly as possible for you, and I want to make sure Michael realizes what a- a horrible person he is!” Kara, feeble-minded Kara had taken a disliking to Cat’s ex-husband right to the core of her. “This is completely up to you because I’m the one who effectively forced you into a corner about this…I was trying to make things easier but I’ve probably just made them worse and- Carter! You really need to explain to Carter because I’m pretty sure he thinks this is real.”

“Kara!” Cat interrupted sharply. “Breathe. I’ll sort out Carter, don’t worry. You get home and freshen up, I’ll see you at work and we’ll discuss over dinner tonight, okay?” 

Hesitantly, Kara nodded before standing up and smiling, slipping out of the bedroom and heading back to her apartment to shower and change for work. Meanwhile, Cat prepared for a very awkward conversation with Carter before school. 

“Okay honey, I need to explain to you what’s happening between Kara and me.” Cat stated poignantly as she sat at the kitchen table across from her son with the first coffee cup of her day. 

“Mom, you’re dating, I get it. Kara’s cool, I’m fine with it, really- so stop worrying!” The teen answered easily as he wolfed down his breakfast. 

“Carter, no. We’re not- okay, this is difficult to explain. Kara and I are pretending to be a couple, because I was getting stressed at work about last night and how your father was going to be commenting on how single I am all evening, so Kara agreed to stand in as my date. But it turns out we were too convincing for your father so now he’s asked Kara to the wedding, she agreed in order to save me the embarrassment of explaining the whole charade so now we’re going to have to maintain a relationship with the media for the next few weeks. We’ll keep it lowkey of course, but Michael will no doubt do some digging to find out about Kara if he can. You know I don’t like asking you to keep secrets, especially from family, but would you mind keeping this quiet?”

“Sure, Mom,” Carter replied casually as he stood up and finished the last of his orange juice. “I’ll see you after school. Love you.”

“Love you too, Carter!” Cat called in response as her son made for the front door. 

The work day went quickly, with Cat in a relatively good mood and no massive stories to cover, and soon enough it was the end of the day. Kara had taken a ‘long lunch’ in order to go and save some children from a burning building but other than that, it had been a relatively calm day. She received a text from Cat inviting her over for dinner, and flew straight over, careful to land a couple of streets away in the knowledge that Cat was still, subconsciously at least, suspecting that she was Supergirl. 

“Hi, Miss Grant!” Kara greeted in true Sunny Danvers fashion as Cat opened her front door. 

“It’s Cat away from the office, Kara. I’ve told you that before.” 

Nodding in understanding, Kara followed Cat through to the kitchen and couldn’t help but smile at the meal set out before them. Pizza and Potstickers. It was almost undoubtedly Carter’s idea, but the fact that Cat would even agree to it meant something. Dinner was casual and familiar, just the same as it had been every meal they’d shared for months but it was when Carter scuttled off to his bedroom, rather than pleading with Kara to play on the Xbox with him, that things got a little tense. 

“So…we have things to discuss, right?” Kara began awkwardly, trying to spur a conversation from Cat as she sat wordlessly sipping wine opposite her. 

“Right,” Cat responded reluctantly. “Well, if you want to go ahead with this - and it’s a big if, because I don’t expect you to do this - then we need to make it a relatively public thing. Obviously, we won’t put it in the tabloids or announce it to the office, but Michael has eyes and ears everywhere, and he isn’t completely stupid despite what you saw last night. This isn’t going to be three weeks of avoiding Michael, this needs to be three weeks of acting as though we are a genuine couple.”

“I anticipated that. You’re the most powerful person in National City, he would find it weird if no one knew a thing about it.” Kara pointed out reasonably, a hint of a smile on her lips at the prospect of dating Cat Grant. Pretend dating, Kara, pull yourself together! “We already eat together at least twice a week, we already spend time together so really we just need to make it more visible. And if there are any functions where you think you might see Michael, I need to be there.”

The two women’s eyes met across the table, and Cat couldn’t hide the upturn of her lips as she listened to Kara talk about the pair of them as a couple so easily. 

“And we need to draw up about some rules. Real rules - about PDA, about who we’re telling the truth, about how we’re going to bring this to an end.” Cat stated matter-of-factly, no wavering tone as she sipped her wine. 

“Okay. PDA, you draw that line because I don’t mind as long as you going to suggest exhibitionism. I would like to tell my sister and then I think everyone else can be left out of the loop, for now at least. And again, bringing this to a close is completely your decision though I’d suggest we wait at least a couple of weeks after the wedding to make this convincing enough. Also, I’d like to throw in that neither of us has sexual or romantic involvements with anyone else until we’ve put this behind us.” 

Cat simply nodded appropriately, agreeing with every word that passed Kara’s lips without hesitation. The moon’s light was beginning to spill through the kitchen window and onto the table, and Kara suggested it was time for her to go home. Wordlessly, Cat rose to show her to the door and paused just as she reached for the latch, turning to face Kara. 

“Thank you for this, Kara. Truly, you don’t know how much it means to me that you would do this.” Without her heels on, Cat stands just about Kara’s shoulders and she looks so petite and beautiful in that moment of domesticity that Kara can’t help but hug her. Wrapping her small frame up in strong arms, Kara breathes in the familiar scent of Marc Jacobs perfume and chamomile tea. They stand there for a long moment in silence before Kara draws back calmly. “You have games night tomorrow I believe, so we should make plans for Saturday. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, Cat.” Kara hums before reaching for the door handle and leaving. 

It is less than five minutes later that Cat hears a knock on her balcony window and sees Supergirl stood there. Crossing the room to open the door, she smirks as the superhero enters her living room. 

“I went to your office but you weren’t there, so I thought it best to come and check on you. That’s the second night in a row you’ve left early, it’s not like you Miss Grant.” Her entire character changed when she put on the suit, and Cat found it utterly remarkable that they seemed to be such different people when she knew better. “No problems at CatCo, I see. I must be doing my job right.”

“You certainly are.” Cat remarked in a cryptic tone, rolling her eyes at the way Kara still tried to maintain the pretense when they both knew that Cat was fully aware of Kara’s identity. “Was there something you wanted to discuss or were you just popping by to visit, Supergirl?”

“Do I have to make an excuse to come and see my favourite media mogul, Cat?” 

The visit wasn’t long, it was simply that Kara hadn’t wanted the evening to end just yet, no matter how late it was getting.


	4. Chapter 4

When Saturday rolled around, Cat and Kara had agreed that they would go out during the day, in the hopes that perhaps they might draw some minor media attention if anyone sees them, or at the very least they were out in public. Lunch was good, and then they just walked around the city for a while, enjoying each other’s company until Kara’s phone rang. 

It was Alex. And there was a disaster happening on the other side of town that needed Supergirl’s attention. 

“Cat, I’m really sorry but my sister is having a bit of a crisis and she really needs my help. I’ll call you when I get home, okay?” Kara’s tone was almost remorseful, she really did not want this day to end no matter how fake it was to Cat. “I’m really sorry, Cat. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

“Don’t worry, I understand,” Cat answered sweetly, leaning in to kiss Kara for the first real time and it was difficult to decipher whether it was for the people around them or if it was genuine. “Be safe, Kara.”

And as soon as she got back to her apartment, Cat stayed glued to the television watching the news right up until the moment her phone rang and she pulled it to her ear swiftly.

“I just got home, her boss was being a pain in the backside and she needed me to sort out some stuff for her at home because she has a date tonight that’s apparently hugely important. It wasn’t as big of a deal as she made it out to be, but then some people like to make drama out of nothing.” Kara offered offhand, struggling to come up with an excuse at such short notice. 

“Come here you silly girl. And you can fly because I am not waiting just so you can keep pretending that I don’t know.” Cat demanded without reluctance, attention drawn to the balcony by a dull thud and saw Supergirl stood there. Reluctantly, Kara opened the door and stepped inside, only to find herself with Cat wrapped tightly around her waist in mere seconds. She ignores the soreness in her ribs and just holds Cat tight against her for a moment before the petite blonde drew back. “Sorry, I just- now that I see you as one person, it’s scary to see my feeble, naive young assistant fighting psychopaths!“

“Cat, I’m not- ” Kara began, struggling to get her words out. “When I go out there, when I put on the cape, I’m not Sunny Kara Danvers who works at CatCo, I’m Supergirl. They’re two completely different people, but I have to try and be both of them at once.” 

“I know you didn’t want to tell me Kara- I’m sorry that I forced you into admitting it but I didn’t see the point in pretending I didn’t know. If we’re going to make these next three weeks work properly then I need to know what’s going on to some degree.” Cat reasoned as she stood, with her hands on her hips. “I appreciate that you probably don’t trust me, I haven’t exactly made myself trustworthy but I won’t expose you, I would never do that to you.”

“I trust you Cat, completely, I was just scared after last time that you’d hold it against me. You threatened to take my job, and I couldn’t bear for that to happen.”

“Would you…like to stay for dinner? You can change into some of my clothes if you prefer, and Carter’s at his father’s house for the weekend so we can just talk.” Cat suggested humbly, warmth in her tone as she crossed towards the kitchen with a smile. 

“I’d love to, Cat,” Kara replied genuinely, tugging off the cape and slipping into the master bedroom in search of something to wear. Only a minute later, she stepped out in some white slacks and a black tank top that looked vaguely Kara-esque.

She returned to the kitchen to find Cat sat at the kitchen table with a glass of bourbon settled in front of her, and she couldn’t help but smile at the familiarity of it all; she’d spent years watching Cat in her office and it had felt like a whole world away, but now she was in that world. Confidently, Kara took the seat opposite her boss and let a smile play on her lips as she met Cat’s gaze. She can’t help but wonder if the woman in front of her has even an inkling of her feelings, Kara knew she was good at pretending but apparently not to Cat…so maybe she knew, and that’s why she had asked her over somebody else. 

“Whatever is flying around in that pretty little head of yours, stop it. You’re making me worry.” Cat teased light-heartedly, fingers wrapped loosely around her tumbler glass. “I forgot to tell you that my mother is going to be at the wedding. I was convinced that she’d be too busy but apparently not! She won’t say a word to you, not after last time, but I just thought I’d warn you that she’s going to be there.” 

“Do you promise to protect me from her wrath if she starts talking about my incompetence again?” Kara questioned jokingly though there was a seriousness hidden in her tone and she picked at her cuticles anxiously. 

Cat reached across the table and placed her hand meaningfully on top of Kara’s to stop them in their movements, drawing the girl’s eyes up to meet hers. 

“My mother is not something for you to worry about, okay? I do not want you, wasting your time, worrying about what my mother thinks of you!” Cat exclaimed though she reserved a softness in her tone for Kara’s sake. “That woman has the worst judgement in the world, and she doesn’t get to have a say on the people that I welcome into my life when she’s effectively eliminated herself from it most of the time! I know you’re amazing and intelligent, as does Carter who is the only person who’s opinion I care about other than my own. But if you want to leave Kara, if you want to drop out of this, then you have every right - you have already done so much for me, and for Carter, and I can’t expect anything more from you.”

“Miss Grant, for almost four years, your happiness and satisfaction have been the only thing that mattered to me beyond the health and safety of both myself and my sister. Your happiness is what paid the bills, and made my days bearable, and gave me a reason to get out of bed in the morning. I want to do this, and I am honoured that you chose me to be this person for you, I’m not going to run away because I’m scared of what other people might think.”

A smile settled across Cat’s face but it wasn’t the little quirk of her lips that happened when someone did their job right or the forced grin she gave to the board members; it was a smile like the one she gave to Carter when she hadn’t seen him in a couple of days and she felt the world was put to rights again. It was the smile that Kara felt privileged just to witness, let alone cause, and her heart melted in her chest at the sight before her. Cat kept a tight hold of her hand as though she was trying to bridge the gap between assistant and boss, to make sure Kara knew that in this moment she meant more than that. 

For the rest of the evening, they chattered casually about one thing or another, and eventually the evening had gotten away from them and it was time that Kara ought to leave. That was when she got the call - a factory had just exploded on Bollard Street and Alex said her help was needed. Quickly, she hurried to change into the suit and headed for the balcony to leave, pausing to say goodbye to Cat. 

“Come back once you’re done. I don’t care how late it is, I don’t want you going home alone afterwards.” Cat suggested, a sense of hope buried in her eyes as Supergirl offered an understanding nod and flew away without another word. 

Cat spent the next hour glued to her television screen as she watched the news coverage, anxious in a way she failed to comprehend. She knew she cared for Kara - she could deny that to everyone but herself - but this sense of dread was unprecedented, suddenly nothing mattered more in those moments than Kara’s wellbeing. The once icy woman was melting from the heart out, and this ‘fake dating’ idea was just making it even harder to deal with. 

Almost as soon as coverage had shown Supergirl walking away from the scene, the sound of her feet landing against the concrete of the balcony drew Cat’s attention. The young Kryptonian let herself in, almost surprised to find Cat pacing the living room waiting for her. 

“I was hoping you’d have gone to bed by now. You shouldn’t have stayed up waiting.” Kara sounded a little winded and she couldn’t hide that the explosion had, at least, taken it out of her. 

“I wouldn’t have slept until I knew you were okay anyway. Let’s get some sleep, shall we?” 

Kara stood awkwardly as she had nothing to change into and the couch didn’t look particularly appealing, she was tempted to wait until Cat was asleep and then fly home. It wouldn’t be difficult to come up with an excuse after all. Cat slipped away to the bedroom and changed into a simple nightgown before calling Kara’s name and summoning her. As the young woman walked into the bedroom, she caught the bundled clothing that was thrown in her direction and smiled before sneaking to the bathroom to get out of the suit. 

“Goodnight Cat.” Poking her head around the bedroom door, she saw Cat sitting against the headboard with her mobile in her hand, scrolling. 

“This bed is plenty big enough for the both of us, Kara. I told you I didn’t want you sleeping alone tonight and I meant it.” Cat replied gently without raising her eyes from her phone. “I know it’s hard for you to believe that I care, but I do. You’ve been there for me for a very long time, so let me be here for you…just this once.”

Without saying a word, Kara padded across the room and slipped under the duvet on the left side of the bed with a grin ghosting her lips.


	5. Chapter 5

It is another week of casual dinners and dates before the CatCo Autumn Gala rolls around. Kara would’ve attended anyway so she already bought a gown weeks ago, and she already explained to the DEO that she off duty unless something drastic happened. Tonight was the night that it all came out; in twelve hours time, James and Wynn and everyone in the office would know, or at least they would have an inkling. Carter was going to be there, as he had been every year since he was mature enough for it to be appropriate, but the room would mainly be filled with the biggest names in American media. 

Kara flew to Cat’s apartment after work so that they could leave together, never mind the fact that she now had a small collection of clothes gathering at Cat’s house for the nights when she stayed over. Kara had told herself over and over that it was all for public appearance, but no one knew what was going inside of Cat’s home and it wasn’t like Michael was going to quiz his own son; she couldn’t help but wonder if Cat truly enjoyed her company at this point. Obviously she could never share Kara’s feelings, but perhaps there was something more to it than what she allowed herself to believe. 

Cat looked beautiful, which was no surprise, but as she fixing her hair in the bathroom mirror, she almost drew blood biting her lip to keep from saying something she oughtn’t when Kara presented herself. She was wearing a simple claret gown and she looked astonishing, Cat couldn’t help but revel in the way her once pretty assistant had blossomed into someone incomparably beautiful. Kara kept her hair back in a low bun, and she sat her glasses at the bridge of her nose before looking in the mirror. 

“I can’t help but feel that dressing like this is only tempting fate…Kara Danvers has never looked so good or dressed so well, Supergirl is so well hidden in plain sight that it seems a little risky. Maybe I should change?” Kara speculated aloud, curious as to what Cat thought though she was yet to clock the way her boss’ jaw had dropped at the mere sight of her. 

“You look wonderful, Kara. Stop worrying, the dress is perfect. No one could suspect you of being Supergirl on my arm now, could they.” Cat reassured as she stepped away from the mirror with a smile and corralled the young blonde towards the apartment door. “Carter! Are you ready to leave?”

Almost immediately, the teen was stood at the front door in full gentlemanly attire with a toothy grin across his face. Kara tousled his hair as the three of them left and made their way downstairs to get into the waiting car. The car journey was easy enough, it wasn’t until the red carpet that Kara felt anxiety bubbling up inside of her. 

Wrapping her arm around Cat’s tiny waist confidently, she forced the terrified expression from her face and smiled for the cameras as Cat posed readily. After a few moments, Cat drew her away from the reporters and the pair of them entered the hall to find the venue bustling with guests. Carter was clinging cautiously to Kara’s side as the three of them made their way around and greeted all of those which Cat deemed necessary. 

The evening ran smoothly with the occasional curious glance towards Kara, though most were shut down with the trademark Cat Grant glare. After the meal, a few people started to leave and the atmosphere just became more relaxed, so Cat outstretched a hand to Kara and wordlessly asked her to dance. Somewhere there was a photographer gathering content for the editorial but neither of them even hesitated to think about the repercussions as they crossed the floor. 

The taller of the two women - though the difference was barely noticeable in heels - wrapped her arms loosely around Cat’s waist so that they settled just above her backside while Cat’s slipped up to circle Kara’s neck. Smiling softly, Cat’s eyes met Kara’s and held her gaze; the room was quiet though it would have seemed so in that moment no matter the noise. Closing the small distance between them, Cat rested her head against Kara’s shoulder as they swayed and breathed in her heady scent with her eyes closed. 

Drawing back, Cat ran her forefinger along her assistant’s strong jawline tenderly and reluctantly closed the gap between their lips. It was loving and gentle, and it made Kara feel like the whole world had fallen out from under her as she pressed her lips eagerly against Cat’s pulled the blonde’s small frame into her. It wasn’t long or deep, but it was definitely world-altering. In that moment, each of the women respectively felt every defence they’d built up inside of themselves crumble and collapse, and suddenly the mere prospect of this coming to an end anytime soon was enough to tear them apart. 

“We should go home. Carter will be getting tired.” Cat whispered humbly, allowing the moment to slip away from them as they paused and headed back to the table where Carter sat with a smug look upon his face. 

Slipping out, they made their way to the car and were driven back to Cat’s apartment. 

“Night, bud.” Kara hummed sweetly as she dropped a peck against Carter’s hairline before he kissed his Mom’s cheek and scuttled off to his bedroom. “Cat.”

The blonde kicked off her heels before approaching slowly and resting her head against Kara’s chest, breathing warmly. Grateful for her Kryptonian hearing, Kara listened to Cat’s quick and steady heartbeat and wondered if she could possibly be imagining it. She ran her fingers through Cat’s blonde curls absent-mindedly and for a moment, the pair of them forgot that it was all pretend. When her boss drew back, Kara couldn’t help but feel the absence somewhere deep inside of herself. 

“We certainly gave them a show, didn’t we.” Cat replied happily as the two of them made their way to the master bedroom and almost routinely slipped into nightwear before climbing into their respective sides of the bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Things ran smoothly for days and Supergirl had nothing massive to deal with beyond a couple of rogue aliens. The two became comfortable with one another, and the tabloids picked up on what was going on between the pair of them. Even people at the office had stopped giving Kara strange looks every time she walked in. 

The wedding was fast approaching and Cat had dragged Kara to her favourite store on a Friday afternoon to find the young woman a dress for the occasion. It had been an hour and Kara had already tried on a dozen dresses, none of which satisfied Cat, before she slipped a simple blue bodycon over her shoulders before realizing the zipper was stuck. 

“Cat!” Kara called out warily, jumping as the blonde poked her head around the curtain curiously. “Can you help? The zipper’s stuck.”

Pursing her lips, Cat stepped up behind her and tugged gently on the fastening until it drew up and pulled the fabric closed. Up on her tiptoes, she placed her hands on each of Kara’s shoulders to catch sight of the girl in the mirror and smiled broadly, blinking away tears that threatened to fall as she observed the magnificent of the sight in front of her. She couldn’t believe how she’d fallen in love so irrevocably with this girl despite her very best efforts. 

“It’s perfect, Kara.” Cat uttered genuinely before returning to her snappy self. “Aren’t you glad I didn’t let you walk out with that first one now? Honestly, Kara, you’re a beautiful girl and you hide it away behind dreadful fashion sense, I don’t want to imagine what you would’ve got for yourself! Bridget, we’ll take this one!“

Cat easily pulled down the zip before stepping out of the cubicle to settle the bill while Kara got changed. 

Only five minutes, they were leaving the shop when Kara heard a loud bang only a few streets and cast a worried look towards Cat. Without a second thought, she rushed into a nearby alley and tore off her civilian clothing before bolting towards the source of the noise. Praying it was earthly, she caught sight of the town hall with a massive hole blown through the side of it and rushed to the cause of the damage as people ran away in the opposite direction. The damage was already done, for the most part, she simply blew out a few flames and made sure the building was completely evacuated when the DEO pulled up in their cars and Alex ran across to Kara eagerly to check she was okay. 

As imminent threat seemed unlikely, Kara allowed herself to breathe as she let the DEO take over and do their jobs. It was only when she cast her eyes up that she caught sight of a terrified Cat and hurried over to her, taking a tight hold of her. 

“We need to get out of here before the reporters arrive. Do you trust me?“ The way Cat wordlessly buried her face deeper in Kara’s chest was answer enough as Supergirl took off and flew the pair of them back to Cat’s apartment. Landing on the balcony, she quickly guided Cat inside before releasing her hold and holding the woman at arms’ length. “Are you okay? Cat, please, are you alright?“

Nodding unconvincingly, Cat fought back tears and steeled her expression in an attempt to maintain her image though Kara wasn’t going to fall for it. Taking the smaller woman back in her arms, she bit her lip guiltily for causing Cat such distress though she couldn’t help but relax into the feeling of Cat’s arms wrapped so tightly around her beneath the cape. Despite her reluctance to tell Cat the truth of her identity, Kara couldn’t be happier that she knew now…it had brought them so much closer together. 

She knew that the more people that knew, the riskier her entire life became, but she always had J’onn to protect her identity if worse came to worst. 

“You should be leaving for Games Night soon, shouldn’t you.” Cat’s tone was resounding and verging on upset as she stepped away from Kara and plastered a fake smile on her face. “Dinner, tomorrow night if you’re free?”

“I’ll call Wynn and let him know I can’t make it, you need me here. They’ll understand.” Kara answered easily as she quickly changed back into ‘Kara’ clothes. 

“I wouldn’t want to take anymore of your personal time, I already use up enough of it.” Cat tried to hide the bitterness in her tone but failed miserably, Ever since they’d started the fake relationship, neither of them had been very good at pretending ironically. “There’s nowhere I would rather spend my evening, Cat.”

Another thing that had been noticed, especially at work, was that ‘Kiera’ and ‘Miss Grant’ were rarely used anymore. Neither of them could imagine going back to the way things used to be, nor did either of them want to. 

The evening was just like any other - Carter got home from school at just after four, they watched a little TV, Cat got some work done, they sat down to dinner and afterward Carter headed off to do his homework before he turned in for the night. It was only about 9:30 when Kara poked her head around his bedroom to find him already in it, scrolling on his phone. She settled on the bed beside him and smiled towards him. 

“Do you love her?” He asked casually as he locked his phone and dropped it onto the bedside cabinet, no catching Kara’s bewildered expression. “Mom, I mean. Because I don’t want her to get hurt, not after how bad things were after she kicked my Dad out.”

“Carter…your Mom explained to you that this is all just to keep your Dad quiet at the wedding, right?” She reasoned, knowing full well that Cat had explained it to him more than once. 

“I know that’s what she’s telling everyone. I also know that you hug and kiss and look at each other like you’re in love even when there’s no one else in the room. I know that you stay here almost every night when you have a perfectly good apartment and nobody would ever question that, and I know that the way you look at her is the way people look at each other in old movies.” Carter kept his voice low and even as he stared at his ceiling. “I know you’re not going to tell her, I don’t expect you to. But she isn’t here listening, and I just want to know if you truly have her best interests at heart.”

“Carter, your Mom will always be my first priority along with my sister and you, okay bud?” Kara answered, careful to avoid the question in the belief that if she stopped herself saying it out loud, it would be a little easier to stop thinking it. She hadn’t been paying attention or she would’ve noticed that Cat’s heartbeat was just a little louder than it ought to be, as she stood just outside the door. “I’ll send her in to say goodnight.”

Tousling his hair affectionately, she stood and left the room to find Cat coming down the hallway towards her. 

It wasn’t too long before they turned in for the night though Kara received a call at almost midnight saying she was needed at the DEO. Placing a kiss in Cat’s hair, she told her to go back to sleep and promised she’d be back soon. 

“Hey Alex, what’s going on?” Kara asked as she arrived at the DEO, curious as to what had called her from her bed. 

“We’ve got an alien, unidentified as of yet. We’re holding him in the cells and Wynn won’t be able to get any real work done until after he’s slept a bit, but we just thought we’d bring you up to speed. We found him in his natural form so if we show you photographs, we thought perhaps you’d be able to identify for us.” Alex spieled easily as the two of them made their way to the desks where Alex drew up a large scale image of the being. “Any ideas?”

“Not a clue. The universe is a really big place, Alex. And you said you’ve got Wynn on the case. If he’s in holding, and he’s not posing a direct threat to anybody then why exactly did you call me in?” Kara was tense and exhausted, and she didn’t want to be dragged away from Cat unnecessarily. 

“You don’t normally mind…what’s going on, Kara? Where were you when I called?” Alex inquired concernedly, observing her sister’s eagerness get away. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I was at Cat’s, okay? She’s not having the best day so I don’t want to leave her any longer than necessary.” Kara began, noticing the arch of Alex’s eyebrow and stopping her in her tracks. “It isn’t like that, Alex. She was there, earlier, and she’s not been there - not in person…not since she found out about Kara being Supergirl. It’s just shaken her a little bit so I’m staying at hers tonight. It’s no biggie!”

“Then why’ve you got that sad puppy look in your eyes like you worship the ground she works on?“ Alex narrowed her eyes as it clicked. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you! Oh my God, Kara, this is the worst idea you’ve ever had…like ever, which is saying something considering your life choices. You cannot fall in love with your boss and then engage in a fake relationship with her, are you crazy?!” 

“Alex, don’t jump to conclusions. Everything’s fine. Now, if you don’t need anything more from me, I’ll be going! I’ll see you tomorrow, sis!” Kara finished abruptly as she flew straight out and back to Cat’s apartment, slipping quietly inside and edging towards the master bedroom as quietly as possible, only to find anything but silence there. 

Cat was thrashing around the bed frantically, whimpering and whispering in her sleep. Impulsively, Kara sped across the room and kneeled before reaching for Cat’s cheek and holding her still and she tried to wake her carefully. The blonde’s eyes snapped open with fear in them as she met Kara’s gaze. 

“I woke up and you weren’t here.” Cat stated bitterly, swiping Kara’s hand away as she rolled over in bed. 

“I’m sorry Cat, my sister called and I thought it must be urgent for her to be calling so late. I came back as soon as I could.” Kara apologized, weakened resolve as she saw the way sh had upset Cat with her absence. “Shall I go home?”

“No!” Cat replied urgently, almost scared. “Just get in bed.” 

Cautiously, Kara changed before slipping under the duvet and stuck close to the outside edge as Cat rolled to face outward. Without a word, Cat reached out behind her and grabbed Kara’s arm, pulling it to sit across her midriff as Kara shifted towards the middle of the bed and wrapped Cat in her hold protectively.


End file.
